Hello all, I did a search but could not find an answer to this question. Is it possible to have 2 cars seats in the second row and still have access to the third row, without having to jump over the 2nd row or climb in through the back?
Thanx

jmayhew

05-03-07, 09:10 AM

I haven't tried it....cause when we go out with out friends & thier kid we always put the 2 car seats in the 3rd row.

I think it all depends on the width of your car seats...some are huge & bulky & some are thinner.

also there are no anchors in the middle of the 2nd row so you'd be using the anchors on the driver side & then the seatbelt for the middle one.

IMO just put the car seats in the 3rd

CaddyinKC

05-03-07, 08:37 PM

You might be able to get two boosters in the second row and still have access to the third row, but I doubt you could get an infant/toddler seat and another in the second row.

Black Knight

05-03-07, 10:15 PM

Thanx for the replies.
That is what I thought. 2 infant toddler seats in the second row on either side means no way to get to the back. I wish I could get the seat to tilt up with the car seat in it. And I do not want to move the seats back and forth, it is a royal pain.

r_casino

05-03-07, 11:10 PM

Are there LATCH connections in the third row or do you use seatbelts?

mjk

05-04-07, 07:20 AM

Ialso there are no anchors in the middle of the 2nd row so you'd be using the anchors on the driver side & then the seatbelt for the middle one.

IMO just put the car seats in the 3rd

Actually there it a middle anchor, it's behind the second row seat (3rd row leg room)

I don't think 3rd seat has anchors, but seat belts work fine.

ckrichards

05-07-07, 10:21 AM

Third row does have anchors for the tethers, but no latch hooks. You could put one car seat in the third row on the passenger side and leave the middle row passenger seat always flipped up. I ran that way for a while.

jmayhew

05-08-07, 10:04 AM

Actually there it a middle anchor, it's behind the second row seat (3rd row leg room)

I don't think 3rd seat has anchors, but seat belts work fine.

i'm not talking about the single anchor....thats the teather anchor

i'm taking about the 2 lock clip/latch hooks anchors that are used for a baby seat...that are in the crack between the bottom & back of the seat. there are only 4 of them....2 on the apssenger side & 2 on the driver side. & you need 2 per child seat.

each child seat need those 2 lock clip anchors & then the single one your talking about is used to secure the seat so it doesn't tilt forward, just like in a sedan, you use the 2 lap anchors & then the 3rd one is in the back window deck

& your right there are no hook anchors on the 3rd row...you have to use the seat belts.

TSS

05-08-07, 10:18 AM

Holy cow! Things have gotten really complicated since my son was in a child/baby seat. It was not that long ago either...... just like 4-5 years ago....

thefred

05-08-07, 11:38 AM

Holy cow! Things have gotten really complicated since my son was in a child/baby seat. It was not that long ago either...... just like 4-5 years ago....
Its actually much easier with LATCH. A recent study showed that 72% of car seats are installed incorrectly. I can certainly see how that number could be that high with seat belts because it is impossible to get them tight enough, but with LATCH, its nearly idiot-proof. The class to lear how to install a car seat using seat belts is like a 40 hour class. You can lear how to use LATCH correctly in about 5 mionutes. What really makes no sense is why the LATCH anchors are not in every seat position (other than the front seats, of course). I mean, how much can that small piece of metal cost?

w-r-g

07-11-07, 01:24 PM

Don't get a bench as the 2nd row? People can easily get in and get in the back of our 07 ESV with the carseats installed.

onewhippedpuppy

07-11-07, 06:13 PM

With our regular child seat and an our infant seat base in the middle, we can barely flip the passenger side seat forward. This is with the base only, NOT the removable infant seat. For daily use, it would not be ideal. If we are hauling more than our two kids on a regular basis, we'll put the regular car seat in the 3rd row.

On the upside, in a year when our son can move to a small booster seat, there should be plenty of room. Why do car seats have to be so damn big?

kelliecoo

07-11-07, 11:21 PM

For the person using the middle seat with their car seat, please check your owner's manual in case you don't know about this:

"In a crash, a child secured in a rear-facing
child restraint in the center rear seating position
could be injured by the vehicle’s armrest.
To reduce this risk, the armrest should first
be secured with a special armrest retention
strap. You can get this from your dealer."

Also, the latch is only equipped on the two side seats. If anyone is using those side seat latches with a car seat in the middle you are endangering your child. The width between the latches is not wide enough and you can verify that by looking at your owner's manual and also doing the measurements yourself and checking with your car seat maker on those measurements.

onewhippedpuppy

07-12-07, 07:34 AM

If you read anything about car seat safety, the middle of the back seat is by far the safest place for a child. The lack of latch is an inconvenience, not a hazard, the seatbelt works just as well. The arm-rest coming down is interesting, but with our infant seat in place, it's wedged against the seat pretty well. The arm-rest would be very difficult to move.

kelliecoo

07-18-07, 11:56 PM

Puppy you are right about seat belts working as well. The problem is that the ratio of properly installed seatbelts versus properly installed latch is so low that latch then becomes the de facto recommendation.

If you take your car seat to be checked by a true car seat check organization then that is awesome (eg http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier2_rl.cfm?folder_id=3120 Safe Kids). Honestly Safe Kids is the only organization I would allow to check my car seat. My husband received zero training on car seat safety in the police academy and yet they promote the police stations as a place to safety check. It is ridiculous.

I would just say be careful promoting seat belts over latch because you need to be clear on the need to have installation checked especially when using a seat belt.

onewhippedpuppy

07-19-07, 07:22 AM

I also prefer latch. It is easier, and just feels more secure. However, seat belts can also do the job just as well. That was my only point.

n7don_srx

07-25-07, 02:52 PM

If you read anything about car seat safety, the middle of the back seat is by far the safest place for a child. The lack of latch is an inconvenience, not a hazard, the seatbelt works just as well. The arm-rest coming down is interesting, but with our infant seat in place, it's wedged against the seat pretty well. The arm-rest would be very difficult to move.

We just got a new seat for our 16 mo. old grand daughter. Like you, I'd prefer the center position but declined when I read the part about the arm rest. In looking at it I believe the issue is in a frontal impact the arm rest could and I say could come down and then injure the child on the rearward rebound.
Child seat installation sure is a PITA..... what's needed is an incentive for some college engineering students to devise a latch system that more user friendly.

r_casino

07-25-07, 04:13 PM

My husband received zero training on car seat safety in the police academy and yet they promote the police stations as a place to safety check. It is ridiculous.

I would assume the intent is that officers with training do the checking. :) If an officer isn't trained, they shouldn't be verifying the car seat installation!

Many police stations / fire stations have at least one officer who is trained and can check the car seat installation.

faderrific

07-25-07, 11:23 PM

I'm actually really eager to use the LATCH. The reason we got this car was because my previous car was near impossible to get a car seat in. We are expecting a baby girl in early September and I can't wait to put the car seat in.

onewhippedpuppy

07-26-07, 07:52 AM

The SRX is really quite good, the large amount of rear legroom makes even a rear-facing baby seat an easy fit. I can adjust my seat the way I like it (I'm 6'), then install our rear facing infant seat behind me. There's still enough room to easily lift out the seat portion, it does not contact the back of the driver's seat. Much better than the 4Runner we replaced.

Couldn't fit a baby seat in your last car huh? Try putting one in the backseat of a 911, or 944 Turbo.:)